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5…4…3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR! As 2016 is coming to a close, it is time to get ready for the New Year. What better way than by hosting a party. We have come up with some fun DIY ideas to help ring in 2017. Take any drink or sweet treat to the next level by adding something a little extra. No party celebration is complete without champagne, and these festive stir stick ideas are easy enough for anyone to create, while still looking elegant. And of course you can’t forget about dessert. Add a little shimmer and sparkle to the night with these fun cupcake toppers.

Apple picking, pumpkin carving, bonfires, colorful falling leaves…these are the great times that come along with the cool, crisp fall season. Whether you like dressing up for Halloween, eating turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving or watching football, fall is the perfect time to spend time with friends and family. So if you love this time of year, I have created a guide to have the perfect get together to celebrate fall.

Décor

These décor ideas incorporate the beautiful colors of fall. All are easy enough for anyone to do, but with the look and feel of a professionals work. There are tutorials and workshops all around teaching individuals how to create their own barn board signs and paintings that your guests will be sure to recognize and love.

Get Creative

Tune in to your creative side with this great alternative to carving pumpkins. All the fun, but without the mess and they turn out looking fantastic.

Sweet Treats

You can’t have a party without dessert. Create your own s’more bar or caramel popcorn station and at the end of the night send your guests home with one of these cute miniature pies.

Drinks for everyone

S’mores hot chocolate, white chocolate pumpkin spice latte, apple cider sangria, these fall inspired drinks will have your guests asking for another. If there are children at the party, you can easily recreate nonalcoholic versions.

Warm up by the fire

What better way to end the night, than cuddling up with a cozy sweater and warm blanket around a campfire. Roast marshmallows, eat a s’more, maybe have another one of those yummy drinks and enjoy the weather.

The temperatures are rising, kids are anxiously awaiting the end of the school year, and it’s time to celebrate! What better way to kick off summer than with a Memorial Day weekend BBQ? There are so many unique ways to incorporate red, white, and blue into any festivities you have planned for the weekend. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Earlier this week we talked about a few ways to plan more environmentally friendly weddings–we covered ways to reduce your footprint when choosing flowers and food. This post will cover a few more tips ranging from tabletop decor to your wedding gown!

+Things like baked goods and other consumables make excellent wedding favors. This way, folks can still take something home, but you ensure that it’s something that will be used up and not another knick-knack destined for the landfill. If you choose to do favors in the form of a candy bar or baked goods, be sure to choose recyclable or compostable materials for guests to take them home in.

+Sometimes, the most environmentally friendly thing you can do is make sure items that already exist live a long, full life! So consider heading to the resale shop, borrowing from friends, or even perusing your own home to see what kinds of things you can repurpose for your wedding. Can you buy, borrow, or rent used vases and other decor? Can you wear a vintage gown or have one made from fabric a friend already owns? Can you and your fiance exchange vintage rings? Get creative! All these ideas make great use of existing resources—and anytime you can manage that, you make a big dent in your environmental impact!

+Invitations can use a lot of resources to create and send. If you’re going to plan a wedding with a lighter environmental impact, consider sending primarily electronic invitations to guests. You can always have a handful of print invitations made to keep for yourselves (and parents, close family, your bridal party) and any guests you think may have an easier time managing with a print invitation. Customizable, beautiful electronic invitations are easy to find and becoming more and more popular!

What other tips do you have for planning an environmentally friendly wedding and reception? We’d love to hear from you!

If you’re an environmentally conscious couple, you may be a bit stressed about the ecological footprint your wedding will have. Though it can be easy to produce a lot of waste at a typical wedding, it can be just as easy to reduce it! In this and an upcoming post, we’ll be sharing some simple ways to minimize the environmental impact of your wedding without reducing the fun, the style, or the experience.

+Serve food that is grown and prepared locally as much as possible, and choose dishes that feature in-season produce. This helps keeps resources used to transport food, as well as chemicals used to grow it, to a minimum. Plus, it will taste much fresher! Some families even choose to cater the wedding themselves. While this certainly takes a lot of time and hard work, it can be a good option if you love your family’s cooking!

+Just like with food, flowers’ environmental impact varies a lot based on two things: how local they are and how in-season. Choose flowers that are naturally growing right now to reduce the resources it would take to grow naturally out-of-season flowers. And contact local farms and florists to see how close to home you can source your flowers.

+Consider having your ceremony and reception in the same location. This drastically reduces the fuel your guests will use and the emissions all that driving would produce. The bonus is that it can be much less stress for your guests and for you!

Check back on the blog later this week, when we’ll be sharing a few more easy tips for reducing the environmental impact of your wedding!

Not sure what to get for mom this upcoming Mother’s Day? Consider these thoughtful gift ideas that won’t break your budget, add to her clutter, or be forgotten any time soon.

+You’ve done flowers before, but consider a hand-crafted paper bouquet that will last quite a bit longer. Displayed on a bookcase or dresser, the “flowers” will be a visual reminder of your love—and craftiness!

+Write her a letter. Take some uninterrupted time to sit down and think of all the reasons you love and admire mom. She’s sure to hold on to it, and sure to reread. What a fantastic gift for a person who works so hard.

+Create a photo slideshow of you two throughout the years. Set to a song you know she loves or that has special meaning for your family.

+Compile a coupon book. Sometimes the greatest gift is a helping hand. A book of coupons that she can redeem throughout the year will take a bit of pressure off of her. Add things like “1 free car cleaning”, or “breakfast in bed.”

+Plan a mini-vacation! Chances are your mom has a lot on her plate. And chances are there are things in her own backyard she’d love to do, but hasn’t gotten around to yet. So this Mother’s Day, make a list of the shopping, dining, outdoor, or any other activities she’s been wanting to check out. Then spend the weekend crossing off as many as you can!

Metallics are popping up in weddings everywhere, as of late! Adding touches of metallics like rose gold, brushed bronze, and copper is a great way to make a bold statement at your wedding, and can be different metallics to use than the more typical silver and gold elements.

Floral Bouquets:

You can do this by adding faux flowers made of steel to your bouquet. If you really want to change up the traditional floral bouquet game, try creating a metal broach bouquet. This doubles as the perfect wedding keepsake as well!

Table:

Adding metallic elements to your tablescape will instantly give off a more sophisticated look. If you’re going for a more industrial look, exchange white wedding chairs for metal chairs!

Invitations:

Using foil for the lettering on your wedding suite or as the backsplash of your envelopes is the perfect way to get your guests excited about your big day! With lots of colors and styles to choose from, you can incorporate this into your other wedding colors easily!

Cakes:

Infuse metallics into your cake by using metallic edible paint to brush on a simple design or pattern. If you’re looking for a more simple way to accomplish this, just add a metallic topper to your cake.

Decor:

It’s all in the details! Simple metallic accents like metallic candle holders and flower vases will greatly impact the overall look of your wedding. Create a shimmery photo backdrop using sparkly tones of gold, silver, and copper ribbon.